The Indian government has taken measures to address the high prices of tomatoes in retail markets by reducing the subsidized price to ₹80 per kilogram, effective from July 16, 2023. The decision follows a thorough assessment conducted across more than 500 locations in the country.

Earlier, the government had initiated the sale of tomatoes at a discounted rate of ₹90 per kilogram in Delhi-NCR through mobile vans, and additional cities were included in the initiative the following day.

A government official statement highlighted that wholesale tomato prices had decreased due to the government's intervention in selling them at a concessional rate of ₹90 per kilogram in areas where prices were exceptionally high. After re-evaluating the situation across various locations, it was decided to further reduce the price to ₹80 per kilogram, effective from Sunday, July 16.

The National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) are facilitating the sale of tomatoes on behalf of the government. NAFED and NCCF have initiated sales in multiple cities, including Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Arrah.

The government plans to expand the discounted tomato sale to more cities from Monday, based on prevailing market prices in those locations. The statement emphasized the government's commitment to providing relief to consumers.

Retail prices of tomatoes remain high, reaching up to ₹250 per kilogram in major cities due to monsoon rains and the lean season. According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, the all-India average retail price of tomatoes stood at approximately ₹117 per kilogram on Saturday, with a maximum rate of ₹250 per kilogram and a minimum rate of ₹25 per kilogram. Among metros, Delhi had the highest price at 178 per kilogramme, followed by Mumbai at 150 per kilogramme and Chennai at 132 per kilogramme.

To ensure adequate supply, the government plans to purchase tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra for distribution in northern cities. The current rise in prices is attributed to supply disruptions caused by the monsoon, as July-August and October-November are typically lean production months for tomatoes.

Anice Joseph Chandra, the managing director of NCCF, said that tomatoes are purchased from Madanapalli in Andhra Pradesh, Kolar in Karnataka, and Sanganeri in Maharashtra. NCCF has already sold 35,000 kilograms (about 77161.7 lb (about 34999.93 kg). of tomatoes in the past two days and expects to sell 20,000 kilograms (about 44092.4 lb (about 19999.96 kg).) in Delhi-NCR on Sunday, along with significant quantities in Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur. The continuous intervention by NCCF aims to stabilize prices, with further reductions anticipated in the coming days. The sale of tomatoes is currently conducted through mobile vans and select outlets owned by NAFED in Delhi-NCR, and retail outlets of Kendriya Bhandar will also join the initiative from Sunday.